Jobless Claims in U.S. Drop as Steady Labor Gains Go On

WASHINGTON—The number of Americans filing first-time applications for jobless benefits fell for the second straight week, a sign of steady progress for the labor market.

Initial jobless claims, a measure of layoffs across the U.S. economy, fell by 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 334,000 in the week ended June 8, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires had forecast 350,000.